Inkstand.



E. DAVIS. INKSTAND.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 22, 1912. 1 ,082, 1 52. Patented-Dec. 23, 1913.

cfa Ws IWENTUR. 7 f3 my @QU/mir@ TFNTED STATES PATENT OFFIE.

EMRY DAVIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INKSTAND.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EMRY Davis, a citi- Zen of the United States, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inkstands, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention :relates to inkstands and particularly to what I call my improved, automatic, air feed, plunger inkstand such as that shown and described in the United States Letters Patent granted to me on the 19th day of March, 1889, No. 399,844; and the object thereof is to provide an improved inkstand of this class which is simple in construction and operation, and which will not get out of order or need repair, and which will prevent evaporization of the ink to the highest possible extent, and which involves in its construction a vertically movable plunger by which the ink is fed into position for use and which is spring supported, and adapted to be depressed by a pen point in the operatic-n of inking the pen.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improved inkstand; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of removable parts forming part of the inkstand and detached from the well; Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing 'the parts in a different position; Fig. i a

diagrammatic sectional view similar to Figs. l and 3 and showing the parts in a still different position; and, Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. l, but showing a modifica-tion.

In the practice of my invention, I provide an inkwell t preferably made of glass and preferably of the usual form and the top of which is provided with a large central circular opening a2, and in connection therewith T provide a funnel Z) having a sleeve b2 adapted to be passed down through the opening a2 and having a part b3 which fits the opening a2 and between which and the wall of said opening is a thin space a4 preferably formed by cutting away a part Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 22, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913,

serial No. 710,772.

of the neck portion of the funnel 5 as shown at a5 in Fig. 2. The object of this space a4 is to permit the passage of air out of the well a in the operation of the inkstand, as hereinafter described, and this space is not an absolute necessity as air may be allowed to pass out around the funnel Y), or the neck thereof, in other ways, or by making the part b3 fit loosely in said opening.

Placed in the sleeve b2 of the funnel is a vertically movable tubular plunger c, the lower end of which is open and the upper end c2 of which is cupwshaped in form and closed except for a central tube c3 which passes downwardly through the body of said plunger, and is longer than said body, and extends a predetermined distance below the same, and the inner walls of the funnel Z2 and of the cup-shaped top of the plunger c, are such as to form a complete cup when the plunger c is in its intermediate position, as indicated in Fig. 4, and when said plunger is in this position there is a thin tapered space cl between the top thereof and the corresponding inner walls of the bottom of the funnel or the sleeve thereof, as is clearly shown in said ligure, and when the plunger c is in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. l, there is a thin annular space (Z2 between the to-p thereof and the corresponding walls of the sleeve of the plunger, and when said plunger is in its lowest position as shown in Fig. 3, there is a similar tapered annular space d3 around the top thereof, these annular spaces d, cl2 and cl3 being formed by tapering the outer walls of the top of the plunger, and the inner walls of the top portion of the sleeve of the funnel, as clearly shown in Figs. l, 3 and 4L.

The body portion of the plunger' c fits the inner walls of the sleeve h2 of the funnel b loosely so as to permit of the easy vertical movement of said plunger, and placed on the central tube c3 of the plunger c is a tubular casing c, the top c2 of which is closed except where the tube c3 of the plunger c passes therethrough, and said casing c rests on the bottom of the well and between the body portion thereof and the body portion of the plunger c is a thin annular space f between which the air is free to pass in the operation of the device as hereinafter described, and the top e2 of the plunger c is provided with a neck e3 between which and the tube c3 is a thin .annular space g through which also the air is free to pass in the operation of the device.

Vithin the plunger c and between the top portion thereof and the top of the casing e is an air space 7L, in which is placed a spiral spring i which rests on the top of the casing e and normally holds the plunger c in its elevated position as shown in Fig. l, and mounted on the lower end portion of the central tube c3 of the plunger c is a collar j which is held in place thereon by a nut ZJ, and the object of the collar is to regulate the height at which the plunger c is normally held, and in order to accomplishA this result, the height of the collar j may be increased or descreased, or a collar of less cr greater vertical height may be employed as may be desired; and the object of the nut la is to hold the parts c, e and t' together or in operative position.

The lower end of the casing c is preferably provided with ports or passages et, any desired number of which may be employed to permit inlr to pass into said casing or this object may be accomplished by other means.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement thereof: The normal position of t-he parts of my improved inlrstand is that shown in Fig. l, and in practice, the well a is filled with ink, or approximately so before the parts h, c and e connected as shown, are inserted thereinto and whenever it is desired to inl: a pen, the point thereof is inserted into the top of the plunger e as indicated in Fig. l, and said plunger is depressed into the position shown in Fig. 3, or said plunger may be depressed into the position indicated in Fig. a, if desired, and in either event the ink will rise in and through the tube c3 as shown in Fig. 3, and the point of the pen will be wet therewith, as will be readily understood, and when the pen is removed the plunger c moves back automatically into the position shown in Fig. 1, and this operation may be repeated as often as desired, or whenever necessary for the purpose of inking a pen.

As hereinbefore stated, the air is free to pass between the plungers c and casing e, or the body portion thereof, also between the neck of the casing e and the tube c3 of the plunger c, and in the movement of said plunger c, as hereinbefore described, air will be forced into the vell a and will rise therein so as to fill the space in the top thereof, produced by the consumption of the ink, and this operation provides the requisite pressure in the top of the well to insure the operation of the device.

1n the normal position of the plunger c the lower end thereof is slightly above the lower end of the sleeve b2 of the funnel b, and it must be borne in mind that in the operation of the plunger c, the ink rises in the sleeve b2 to the bottom of the plunger, when said plunger is in its highest position, and in fact never rises in the said plunger above the lower end of the body thereof, and in the vertical movement of said plunger as hereinbefore described, and when the ink rises in the lower end of the sleeve b2 of the funnel b to the lower end Iof the outer walls of the plunger c no air will pass into the inlstand, around the lower end of the sleeve b2, but when the pressure in the well is such that the ink will not rise to the lower end o-f the plunger c, or the body thereof, within the sleeve b2, and, in

the vert-ical movement of the plunger c, airy will pass down through the tube c3 into the top portion of the casing e and out through the neck e2 of said casing into the air space in the plunger c, and this air in the downward movement of said plunger will be forced out of the bottom of the sleeve b2 of the funnel Z2, and will rise in the form of bubbles to the to-p of the well a.

The object of the slight or thin passage at between the top of the sleeve of the funnel and the wall of the opening a2 in the top of the well is to provide means whereby eX- cess pressure in the top of the well occasioned by heat, or otherwise, may escape and thus prevent the well from overiiowing.

rlhe part e simply serves as a support for the spring t' and any suitable device of this class or for this purpose may be employed, and any device of this class supported on the bottom of the well and through which the tube c3 of the plunger c would be movable might be substituted for and used in 'the place of the part e, or a device similar to the head of the casing e supported by the sleeve b2 of the funnel may be substituted `for said casing as shown at m in Fig. 5, and it will also be understood that the length of the sleeve b2 of the funnel Zi may be increased or decreased, if desired, las well as t-he relative dimensions of the other parts of the device; and other changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

From the Vforegoing description it will also be seen that the funnel Z) and the top of the plunger' c form together a dip cup into which the pen, or the point thereof, is inserted, and the bottom of which is vertically movable, and when the plunger c is depressed into the position indicated in Fig. 4, the form of the cup is complete and the ink rises to the top of the lplunger and covers the same, and if the pen be removed with the plunger in this position the spring z' will at once raise the plunger in the position shown in Fig. l and all the ink in the bottom of the dip cup will flow back through the plunger or through the tube o3 thereof.

The object of the annular space Z around the top of the plunger when in the position shown in Fig. el, and the corresponding space cl2 when the plunger is in the position shown in F ig. 1, and the corresponding space (Z3 when said plunger is in the position shown in Fig. 3, is to prevent the ink that dries on the top of the sleeve b2 of the funnel b and on the top part of the plunger c from stopping or interfering with the vertical movement of said plunger, and, in practice, a thin film of ink forms between the sleeve b2 of the funnel b and said plunger, and prevents said plunger from sticking and also prevents air and ink from passing out of the inkstand between said plunger and the sleeve b2 of the funnel b, said film of ink acting as a lubricant for the plunger.

rlfhe funnel b with the parts e, 6,71 and assembled as shown and described are all removable from the well a and may be lifted out of the well whenever desired for cleaning and other purposes, or for enabling the said well to be filled with ink, and in the manipulation of the device the said parts may be lifted to release or admit air to the well if for any reason such operation becomes necessary. lt must also be understood that the plunger c is always normally held in operative position, this being the position shown in Fig. l, and the ink does not at any time come in contact with the spring z' as the chamber in the plunger in which said spring is placed is an air chamber closed at all points except at the bottom and it is impossible for ink to enter said chamber under ordinary conditions or unless the iukstand be inverted or tipped over; and in the use of my improved inl stand the ink must never be allowed to fall in the well below the lower end of the sleeve 52 of the funnel b.

lt must be understood that the bottom of the tube c3 normally' extends below the bottom of the sleeve b2 of the funnel b, and in the herein described operation, bubbles of air will form around the lower end of the tube c3 at each complete downward and upward movement thereof, and at the following downward movement these bubbles of air are pushed on?, or break away from the lower end portion of the tube G3 or collar 7c and pass through the inlrin the well to the top thereof and produce pressure in the top of the well as herein described. lf, however, the pressure in the top of the well is such that ink will rise in the bottom of the sleeve b2 up to the bottom of the plunger, when in its normal position, these bubbles will no-t form, and said bubbles will only form when the pressure in the top of the well is not sufficient to force the ink up in the sleeve b2 to the bottom of the plunger.

The passage at at between one side of the" top of the well and the corresponding side of the neck of the plunger is very small and is not large enough to permit of the escape of air from the well except when the pressure thereon becomes too great.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

ln an inl'rstand, a well having a central top opening, a funnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening, a support within the lower end portion of said sleeve, a tubular plunger vertically movable in said sleeve and the lower end of which is open and incloses said support and the upper end of which is cupshaped in form and provided with a tube which passes downwardly through said support, a spring resting on said support and on which the top of the plunger bears, and means on the lower end portion of the central tube of the plunger to limit the upward movement thereof.

2. ln an inlstand, a well having a top opening, a funnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening, a tubular plunger placed in said sleeve and open at the bottom and the top of which is closed and cup-shaped in form and provided with a central tube which extends downwardly through and below the bottom of said plunger and forming in connection therewith an air chamber therein, a station ary support within said plunger the top portion of said plunger and a spring placed in said chamber and resting on said support and on which the plunger rests.

3. In an inkstand, a well having a top opening, a funnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening into the well, a vertically movable tubular plunger mounted in said sleeve and open at the bottom and provided with a cupshaped top having a central tube which passes downwardly through said plunger and forms a part thereof and an annular air chamber therein, a support mounted in said chamber, a spring placed in the top portion of the plunger and resting on said support and on which the top of the plunger rests, and means for limiting the upward movement of said plunger.

4. ln an inkstand, a well having a top opening, a funnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening into the well, a vertically movable tubular plunger mounted in said sleeve and open at the bottom and provided with a cup-shaped top having a central tube which passes downwardly through said plunger and forms a part thereof and an annular air chamber therein, a support mounted in said chamber, a Spring placed in the top portion of the plunger and resting on said Support and on which the top of the plunger rests, and means for limiting the upward movement of said plunger, said well being also provided in the top thereof with an air vent.

5. In an inkstand, a well having a top opening, a tunnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening into the well, a vertically movable tubular plunger mounted in said sleeve and open at the bottom and provided with a cup-shaped top having a central tube which passes downwardly through said plunger and forms a part thereof and an annular air chamber therein, a Support mounted in said chamber, a spring placed in the top portion of the plunger and resting on said support and on which the top of the plunger rests, and means for limiting the upward movement of said plunger7 said well being also provided in the top thereof with an air vent, and the top of the plunger and the sleeve of the funnel at the top thereof being tapered.

6. In an inkstand, a well the top of which is provided with an opening, a funnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening, a vertically movable plunger mounted in said sleeve and the top of which forms the bottom of said funnel and is provided with a tube which passes downwardly through said plunger and Jforms a part thereof, a support within said plunger and dividing the top and bottom parts thereof into separate air chambers which are in communication, and a spring mounted on Said supportand on which the top of the plunger rests.

7. ln an inlstand, a well having a top opening, a funnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening,

and a spring supported tubular plunger vertically movable in said sleeve and the bottom of which is open and the top of which is cup-shaped in form and provided with a tube 'which passes downwardly through the body portion of said plunger.

8. In an inkstand, a well the top of which is provided with a central opening, a tunw nel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening, a vertically movable tubular plunger mounted in said Sleeve and forming the bottom of the funnel and in which is an air chamber in which is mounted a spring which rsupporte said plunger, the top of the plunger being also provided with a central tube which passes downwardly therethrough.

9. In an inlstand, a well, the top of which is provided with an opening, a. funnel having a sleeve which passes downwardly through said opening, a vertically movable tubular plunger mounted in Said sleeve and the bottom of which is open and the top of which is cup-shaped in form and is provided with a central tube which passes downwardly through said plunger, a spring mounted in the top portion of the plunger and normally supporting it in its elevated position, and means for limiting the upward movement of said plunger, the walls of the top of the plunger and the inner walls of the sleeve of the plunger at the top thereyoi" being tapered so as to form a thin annular Space around the top oit' the plunger in any position thereof.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing yae my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 18th day or" July 1912.

EMRY DAVIS. Witnesses z C. MULREANY, S. ANDREWS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner .of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

